Paramore’s Hayley Williams Drops Hints For New Solo Music

Instagram | yelyahwilliams

Hayley Williamshas come a long way since her early “Paramore” days. 

After releasing her first solo album, “Petals for Armor” in 2020, and a jaw-dropping cover of Massive Attack's “Teardrop” three weeks ago, Williams has hinted at releasing some new music.

And it's all thanks to Taylor Swift. 

Swift and Williams are old friends. Both have a home in Nashville, Tennessee, and Williams has been seen in attendance at various Swift birthday parties. 

In 2011, on her “Speak Now” concert tour, Swift brought Hayley on stage with her in Nashville for a duet of the hit Paramore single, “That's What You Get.”

In 2014, Williams also appeared in Swift's “Bad Blood” music video, appearing as “The Crimson Curse,” in a nod to Williams' red hair. 

On July 24, 2020, Swift made history by dropping a surprise album in the midst of the pandemic without any marketing or notice. The indie-folk album was a switch of genres from Swift, who had previously made the switch from country to pop, trading in her banjo for a synthesizer. 

The album focused on third-person stories, rather than narratives from Swift's own life, and explored themes of escapism and introspection through a cottagecore aesthetic. 

The album was such a smash success that Swift later followed it up with her second indie-folk album, “evermore,” which continued to top charts.  

Considering that “folklore” officially became the biggest album of 2020, it makes sense that it might spawn a few copycats. 

Williams seems to be jumping on the cottagecore train, as she recently released two clips on Instagram. One post shows the “Misery Business” singer drumming, whereas, in another, she says, “We don't need drums if this is my ‘folklore.’”

Although “Petals for Armor” embraced a new, vulnerable side to Paramore’s frontwoman, much of the music stayed true to her alt-pop roots. Could these posts indicate a shift in genre for the punk-rock singer? 

Although some fans are excited to hear more of Williams' solo music, others are worried about the future of “Paramore,” which has been around since 2004. 

In 2019, the band announced that they were taking a hiatus from music in order to “just be.” With no word of when they will get back to the studio, fans are understandably nervous that the band might be calling it quits once and for all.

In response to a fan tweet that was concerned that the band was breaking up, Williams responded, “lol y'all been worried about that too long. aint happening.” 

Although Williams has yet to share any more information about “her folklore,” fans are keeping their fingers crossed that her “folklore” nod might mean a collaboration with Swift herself. 

Here's to hoping!